THIS IS US.

Okay, so this is not a post about the recent T.V. hit serious “This is Us,” but it is a post about our team. If you’ve been wondering who we work with everyday, well … This Is US!

Hopefully you can pick out Amy and I, and of course the office mascot, Sophie, in the picture, but we want to introduce you to some amazing people we get the privilege to travail with every week.

Standing next to Amy is Jordon, who has actually worked with me the longest. He’s got the biggest heart and serves our team so well. From emails, social media, spreadsheets, and analytics, we couldn’t do what we do without him.

Behind him is Dennis. He’s so talented; I just want to be around this guy and hope some of his creative genius rubs off on me. Currently, he helps oversee our call center, but he’s a terrific worship leader.

Behind Amy to the left is Seth. He’s been around YWAM Tyler for a long time, basically because he was born into missions. His parents pioneered YWAM Houston. Seth is that guy, “When he speaks, people listen!” Full of wisdom and determination, he’s part of a team helping get the word out about our Discipleship Training Schools through trips to schools, churches, and events.

To his left is Emily. Only joining our team since January, she focuses her energy in discipling prospective students on the phone. The stories of her God-encounters on the phone thrill me everyday. Her smile is contagious when she walks into the office to share a recent story.

Standing in front of Emily is Allison. She moved from the Admission Department to join us and has brought a ton of spunk and life to our office. Always on the look out for something fun for us to do, Allison is truly a gift to us all.

Katy is next to her on the left and is the granddaughter of our base director. In other words, she has the skinny on everything. She’s having a baby soon and will be leaving the office for awhile. We are all going to miss her cheerful, compassionate presence!

Behind her, staring at my hair-do is Anthony. This amazing man has only been a Christian for a short time, but has more vision for evangelism and missions than most people I’ve met. He keeps us hopping as he and Seth are dreaming up ways to connect with youth around our country through Mobilzation.

Jesse is on his left and helps in Admissions. She is super creative, sharp as a tack, and a great leader. With Katy leaving for a while, her job is ramping up.

Right in front of her and to the right of me is Daria. She goes by Faith in our office and hails from NYC. Everyday she’s discipling people from all over America on the phone. Listening to her pray for people is a real joy. She’s also Sophie’s daily guardian, making sure the dog’s not gotten into any mischief.

Finally, sitting right behind me is Taylor, the Lion-Hearted (a nickname we gave him recently). He moved from working in the Grounds Department to join us in January of this year. He’s currently taking over our video production and I’m super excited to see the creativity that will come out of him. There is never a dry moment when Taylor is around.

This is US — what we have affectionately called ourselves is The Dream Team.

And there are others: Bonnie, who has a rich history with YWAM Tyler, oversees our entire department with support and encouragement. Bennett willingly keeps the website cranking and graciously helps me work through the never ending mazes of the internet. Hayley is so new she wasn’t here yet for the picture. She’s joyfully jumped in to serve in Admissions. Marsha is the head of Admissions and really knows her way around the details we all need. Andrew has been my right hand man in video but is moving on to a film school in California. His future is bright, and I’ll miss him tons.

Would you take time this week to pray for our team? These young (and older) missionaries need every bit of God’s power to do what they do everyday. It was said in a conversation with a friend the other day, in just one 24 hour period, we had talked, counseled, and prayed with people from 5 different nations!

Some of those conversations are super exciting to see what God is doing in the lives of people around the world. Others are heart-breaking as they are trying to overcome very difficult situations, seeking God to move mountians in their lives.

Pray for us as well as we lead this team. They are wonderful, and I’m learning a lot from them as I hope they are from us.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who could benifit from doing a Discipleship Training School. Our base is committed to disciple people of all ages and pioneer new ministries around the world. We continue to pray and ask you to pray as well for God to bring an increase to those we can disciple.

Print this pic and hang it on the fridge. Pray for our team. We need God to move in our midst.

Thank you for partnering with us to see God’s love shared with every person on Earth.

Richard.